Super Old Beads Discovered in South Africa

More old beads have been found at Border Cave in South Africa.

While these beads are not as old as the ones found in Blombos Cave, they have been dated to 44,000 years ago. The really cool part is that they have been associated with a group of people still living in the area – the San People of the Kalahari.

The San People used to be known as Bushmen of the Kalahari, and it is believed that the San culture can be dated anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. The San may be the heirs of the original hunter-gatherer cultures of Africa.

Just think, the ancestors of the San were making ostrich egg and marine shell beads just as more recent San people did before the Europeans arrived with trade beads.

This new evidence may push the date of documented human culture back even further. Cool stuff!